Negative Theology: The Hidden Nature of God & Ultimate Reality - Elliot Wolfson
Elliot R. Wolfson is a theologian, philosopher, and historian.
The prominent tradition in theology known as negative theology (or apophasis) holds that one cannot speak of God directly or positively because God is beyond all concepts and things. For example, Meister Eckhart viewed the Christian Trinity as a path to the true Godhead beyond. Similarly, Ibn Arabi considered Allah as a means of reaching the truth (al-Haqq) that transcends even Allah.
In this podcast, expect to learn why this tradition emerged, how it is has been incorpated in Christianity and Islam, why it has been successful, as well as about dreams and mystical experiences, the nature of the infinite, Heidegger and the unveiling of reality, and more...
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Negative Theology
03:05 – When Did This View of God Emerge?
07:50 – Why Negative Theology?
15:30 – The Emptiness of Being
17:50 – Elliot Reads Jack Some Heidegger
25:00 – The Strange Nature of Dreams
34:14 – Talmud's Interpretation of Dreams
40:00 – Negative Theology in Islam
42:50 – The Infinite
Related Books By Elliot Wolfson:
A Dream Interpreted Within a Dream
Heidegger and Kabbalah: Hidden Gnosis and the Path of Poiēsis
Giving Beyond the Gift: Apophasis and Overcoming Theomania